Adding Spot UV to Make Your Business Cards Stand Out

The business card you give out is one of your biggest marketing tools. When you give out a card looking as though it came off of a dot-matrix printer, your customers and clients may look at you in a not so good way. To avoid this, look for a business card that is pleasing and impressive to the eye to make a positive impression.
You could choose metal and plastic cards, but they can be costly.  A cost-effective way to make an impression is to create your own artwork and then print them out on a spot UV business card.
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What is Spot UV?
Spot UV, the UV standing for Ultra Violet, refers to where the glossy coating on a business card is placed. A spot UV business card is usually printed out on card stock that is non-shiny, such as silk. Spot UV gloss is then put over top of the silk card stock just on certain parts of the business card. This effect causes the spot UV areas to stick out, and even more so when the light reflects on them, making it shine.
Adding Spot UV to Your Business Cards
The logo is usually the best place to add on the spot UV when you design your business cards. Since a logo is made to be eye-catching to begin with, embellishing them with spot UV will make it stand out even more. You may even add it to your company or contact details, which can produce a raised letter effect to your cards.
You may also choose to apply the spot UV to areas of the card that are more in the background, or do a “reverse spot UV” which is the background glossed over but not the logo.
How to Add Spot UV
This type of service is typically offered by printing companies that specialize in printing out premium business cards. However, this product is not cost-prohibitive as are other higher end products like the metal or plastic business cards.
Many printers ask for an extra file to serve as a spot UV template, which is often called a mask file. This typically consists of a background that is white, with black areas that show the parts that will be glossed.
Tips for Using Spot UV
The most effective way to apply Spot UV to business cards is to apply it to silk cards. You can not apply it to metal, plastic or glossy business cards. Look for an elegant and classy look for the best business card. If you go crazy and use too much, your cards will look too gaudy.